ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK POETOVIO

The area of Poetovio was included into the Roman Empire during Augustu's conquest of Pannonia around 15 BC. It was the biggest Roman town on Slovenian territory it was developing in the area where two main artery roads crossed each other: the continental Amber Road that from the outskirts of the Pannonian Plain turned towards southeast, and the navigable and riparian water way along the Drava River connecting Central Eastern Alps with the Lower Danube Region. Poetovio spread out on both Drava River banks along the main road Celeia-Savaria. It developed from two nuclei, the military and the civil one. The legion's military camp (castrum) in Poetovio was located on the right bank of the river Drava. Legio VIII Augusta was based there, replaced by Legi XIII Gemina around 45 AD.

In 69 AD, Poetovio was the stage for an important event described by Tacitus in his work Historiae. The legions's commander, Marcus Antonius Primus (*20/25, +after 98) senator and general of the Roman Emperire, managed to convince the gathered commanders to proclaim Vespasian emperor.

Under emperor Traian, between the years 98 and 102, the town got the status of a colony with the name Colonia Ulpia Traiana Poetovio. The town grew very fast and during the reign of emperor Hadrian it became the seat of the tax office and the Illyrian customs office (publicum portorii Illyrici); this is the reason why Poetovio belonged to the biggest and most Important towns between the Adriatic Sea and the border on the Danube. At that time period the town was a cosmopolitan place with many officials, priests, soldiers, merchants and slaves.

One of the central parts of Poetovo was located on the Panorama Hill. Today is on Panorama the »Archaeological Park Poetovio«.

The park began to be regulated based on the latest geophysical surveys conducted in 2015, which identified and confirmed in which areas of the Panorama the construction was concentrated. The Panorama Hill was covered by a rectangular guide of streets and large buildings. Remains of a square, thermal baths, aqueducts, cobbled streets, walls, statues of gods, ...

Today, Panorama is a popular promenade for locals and tourists. Along the Panorama, walking paths run along the routes of the former ancient streets, with explanatory boards about the history of the place and replicas of selected stone monuments, placed in the places where the monuments were discovered. Although the "Archaeological Park of Poetovio" is in the initial phase of arrangement, it already offers us a pleasant promenade in nature with a beautiful view of Ptuj Castle and the surroundings of Ptuj.

Panorama is also one of the venues of the Roman Games, reviving two thousand years old Roman stories every year. The quadriga race is also gaining a lot of enthusiasm among visitors and competitors.